Underground Society

Finally after 15 years of living underground in caves, we might finally have a chance to return to the surface. The end of corona virus led to the beginning of the Bio age and the advancing developments in our biological warfare that drove us all underground. Tensions and distrust between the superpowers of the world rose during the decade after the pandemic with rumors of threats, and even conspiracies of population control streamed through the households across America. Even to this day its unclear what happened back then in 2030 when the Bio-Fog plagued our land with death. Foreign or domestic bio terrorism struck and the whole face of the planet was forced to share the consequence. An extremely violent & aggressive bio weapon filled the air with a poisonous fog that does not dissipate with wind or elements, only moves with the wind and almost coagulates when agitated or stressed. This terror quickly found its stretch wide across most of the entire world before anyone could really prepare for it.

Thousands of us survived healthily because we found refuge living in cave systems underground, and have adapted and created a society for ourselves, The Underground Society. Many of us seem to have forgotten what life was like up there years ago, like it was this dream that we have left behind. Fresh air, the beauty of the wilderness around, connection with people and plants, cars, walking down the road....all gone, for our tunnels, walls and cubbies that surround every waking thought. I only can remember what the surface was like when I have a dream I was there. We have electricity, a regulated internet and communications system, we have water but its communal and we go to shared sources in underground reservoirs to collect some for a day or two at a time. The military drops resources off once a month to each Cave Community Provisions Leadership group, a group of civilians appointed by the military to ration the supplies to the local underground population. supplies have been in shorter supply in recent month, either the Leadership group is syphoning supplies, or the military's supply and resources is dwindling after over a decade of us living underground. Hope has been lost with the light that no longer shines on the peoples faces, and are only waiting for the days we starve and fight amongst each other in desperation and defeat. We have tried to venture further into the caves many times, however even the most seasoned and brave explorers willing to go beyond uncharted territories this deep into the earth, have not returned.....until now.

A little boy quietly plays video games while his parents sleep in their excavated open roomed cavern they call their home. Their claim of cave rest at the end of the main corridor of houses. As he sits focused on his game a slight change of stimuli tickles his attention, and the curious boys skeptically perks an ear up, and gives his attention to the opening of his families cubby. It almost sounds like faint breathing. He listens more carefully now, and cautiously gets up, and steadily tip toes towards the front entrance. Slowly he wraps his little fingers around the edge of the home's door and pulls his head into the open, and peers into the dark abysmal tunnel. And listens.... the breathing becomes more defined, its erratic and panting heavy, it has a wheeze and ghastliness in its essence! the gross startling breathing of this mystery in the dark has frozen the little boy from movement and before he knows it the breathing monster has almost literally stumbled directly onto him! The young kid reaches deep for his bravery in his pocket and pulls out a flashlight, and in the same motion clicks it on shining the light on the monster! They both scream! The breathing apparatus has now revealed itself as a scratched up, withered, bloody & bruised, scrawny 24 year old guy barely hanging onto life, collapsing onto the little boy, right before his very eyes from complete and absolute exhaustion.

The young man comes to consciousness, and once recognized as awake and lucid the father of the boy instantly starts to questions the young man. "My name is Silas." He has to take a deep breathe to continue to speak weakly. "I live here....I was an Explorer." The fathers eyes widened but remained fixated on the living ghost of a person, turned his mouth and called for his wife "Lisa! Lisa come Here!" As she enters into the room Silas mustards out a command, "I Must talk to the main scientist here, the bio chemist" he takes a long shallow breathe, and with a raspy voice finishes with "I know the key code." before passing out again. Lisa went out into the community to seek out the Dr. in Chemistry.

Underground Society is one of the only known underground populations with a full running state of the art lab and the scientist to operate and conduct tests and experiments to reverse or eradicate the poisonous clouds that loom over the surface. However it has been a long time since any successful research has had progress, years since any potential breakthrough. The last lead researcher Dr. Brozin, a Swedish scientist in the field of Bio agents, almost cracked the case and found a solution, but died in an exploration mission a few years ago. Most of the resources and focus go into perpetuating our unsustainable way of life down here. Many have lost and forgotten what hope is. What hope was. There is another Man in the lab deeply dedicated to solving Brozin's formula, the lead bio chemist Dr. Les, that simply goes by Doc. He has known for a couple years now if he could just have access to Brozin's account and notes, they could have a fighting chance at combating and reversing the insidious biological agents governing the world above. The rhythm of a person running closer from down the hall echoes louder and louder until it stops at the doorway of Docs lab, its Lisa. Doc looks up and anticlimactically reflects "well you sure do seem excited to see me today." She stops for one breathe and pushes out, "Its a boy from an explorers mission, he said he has the code, and needs to speak with you!" Doc stiffens up in excitement and disbelief "we haven't had any explorers out on a mission for a few years! Since Brozin's disappearance actually!" "What do you mean hes an explorer?" Lisa uttered back to him "I know I know, I cant believe it either, but doc you gotta check out this guy, hes barely alive and claims to live here, we got to go now, bring any medicine and food we can give him!"

Les makes it back to Lisa's house with her, where the husband and son are taking care of Silas, and Silas then debriefs Doc and the family of his expedition through hundreds of miles of cave with Brozin's team. Their mission was to reach the surface and find Brozin's daughter. "We spent between 8-12 months finding the way out of the caves, to a pocket of land where the air is supposed to be pure enough to breathe." Brozin, Myself and a few others were the only ones out of about 12 to make it out of the caves alive." Silas described. Almost angrily and confused Doc Questioned Silas, "Why his daughter?" "Did you find her?" "What happened to Dr. Brozin?" Silenced filled the small cozy room before the young explorer had the strength to respond. He was sick and they could tell. "His daughter had the code to Brozin's research, and all of his work actually. Brozin died from the fog at the surface, his daughter died from it to. She was coming back with me to pass this on." His disorientated and shaky hand found the object of salvation, his frail fingers gripped it with the last of his strength, and summoned Brozin's flash drive. A heart shaped locket USB, with a picture of his daughter and him, before the pandemic even happened.

Silas breathe fades as the house stares at this silver heart. He brought the solution to save Underground Society.